Elisabet Femenies Mascaró: "I miss Mallorca a lot, especially my family, my friends and the beach"

VilafrancaWe speak today with Elisabet Femenies Mascaró (Vilafranca, 2003). A lover of mathematics, she left her teachers stunned when she chose the Social Sciences Baccalaureate. However, from a very young age, she had dreams and desires that are finally coming true. Recently, she graduated with the best academic record of her Social Education class at the University of Lleida.

Social Education and Social Work? How was it that you chose the University of Lleida?

— I chose to study these two degrees, since since I was little I knew that I wanted to dedicate myself to accompanying people who are in a situation of vulnerability. In fact, both degrees intervene with very similar groups, but the first one focuses more on guidance, referral to appropriate resources and offering strategies to obtain them; and the other works based on education and pedagogy to foster empowerment and social inclusion. Therefore, choosing these two degrees allowed me to study and work in a very wide range of fields and with different methodologies. Furthermore, obtaining both offers me the opportunity to have more professional outlets and, as a consequence, more possible job offers. I have studied the simultaneity of Social Work and Social Education studies. During the first year, I started with the Social Work degree and, in the second year, I already began with the second degree. That is why in total I have been 5 years.

How did you choose the University of Lleida?

— I decided to come to the University of Lleida, primarily because it was one of the few public universities that offered this possibility of an academic pathway. Furthermore, I also knew that I wanted to go out and see the world, but in Catalan-speaking lands, thus further reducing the possibilities. Finally, I believe that one of the most decisive factors was the fact that despite being a city, it feels like a big town, reminding me a bit of Vilafranca and, therefore, it made me feel at home.

How do you value having had the best academic record of your graduating class?

— I am very grateful to have been able to obtain this recognition, as the effort and perseverance that I have had during all these years of study have been reflected in my academic record. On a personal level, I am very happy and satisfied with the work done, but seeing external recognition from the institution corroborates my feeling and is a very positive external reinforcement.

What professional opportunities do you have?

— In both Social Work and Social Education, we are fortunate to be able to dedicate ourselves to a wide range of fields and sectors. Through these professions, we attend to every group that presents vulnerability, finds itself in a situation of risk or social exclusion, which unfortunately includes many people in need. Some examples include the educational, healthcare, judicial, addiction, gender-based violence, disability, immigration, and mental health sectors, among many others.

Now you work at a homeless center, what is the day-to-day like? How have you experienced these months with all the crisis and the protests nationwide regarding the housing crisis?

— The center where I work is a day service for people who are homeless or living in undignified housing. Here we offer them a familiar space to shower, provide them with clothing, rest or take a nap, have a snack with a coffee… It is a place where they can socialize, relax, talk, vent, and ask for help with very diverse procedures. Certainly, these have been quite complicated and tense months for many reasons. Currently, many of the people who are in a situation of homelessness are mostly irregular migrants, generally young. They carry a backpack loaded with very varied stories, starring in many cases by frustration and fear. It must be taken into account that boats constantly arrive in Spain with people who, on many occasions, come to Lleida to look for work in the fruit season. In addition, this summer has had a major addition: the extraordinary regularization. We have helped them submit the documentation, we are working with them to participate in training courses both linguistic and professional and, subsequently, in the search for work. However, for most of them, the final resolution has not yet arrived, so it has also been necessary to influence their emotional management, since uncertainty and frustration emerge. To all this is added that the high temperatures of summer and the lows of winter mean that many of them do not have a place where they can be in the shade or get warm. With limited resources, we fight continuously so that they can have the appropriate clothing and refer them to services that offer beds to be able to sleep with dignity.

How do you evaluate and what is your opinion on the situation?

— I think that experiencing this situation is very unfair and frustrating. Although we know that resources are very limited in the face of high demand, we constantly intervene and fight so that their circumstances can improve as much as possible, always looking out for their well-being.

Now you are taking the 'Criminal Justice System' master's degree… what is this course like and for what purpose are you taking it?

— It is a public semi-presential Interuniversity Master's degree, so we go for two weeks to the Jaume I University of Castelló de la Plana to attend face-to-face classes and, subsequently, do the work online. It is a course in the field of law and criminology, although students from other degrees such as Social Work, among others, may also choose to access it. I chose this master's degree for two main reasons. On the one hand, because since I was little I had also been interested in the field of criminology and, therefore, I feel that I am fulfilling the dream of my past. On the other hand, in the third year of the Social Work degree, I had the opportunity to do my internship at the Ponent Penitentiary Centre, which opened up a world that captivated me. For this reason, I believe that studying this master's degree will allow me to have more knowledge regarding the judicial field and, in addition, to be able to relate it to social work and social education, aspects that are closely linked to working on reintegration and full social integration. Thus, I hope that this master's degree will allow me to open doors to work and to be able to discover if the penitentiary and judicial field is really my vocation.

Do you work in Lleida and continue to live there, do you have the idea of staying there or do you miss Vilafranca?

— I miss Mallorca a lot, but above all, my family, friends and the serene landscape of the beach. Even so, I always try to go down every month or month and a half, when I need to disconnect or recharge my energy and strength. My current idea is to continue training to learn and nourish myself as much as possible in relation to the social sector. In addition, I also want to gain experience and discover which field I am most passionate about and which one I feel most comfortable working in. Therefore, I believe that now is the time to move, try and enjoy this process. Later on, who knows!, many situations can happen that I cannot even consider now. For the moment, I am enjoying being in Lleida, while I also appreciate and value being able to return to the town every little while. It must also be said that my family constantly comes to see me, which makes me feel very lucky and very accompanied.

What do you like to do when you are in town?

— I like to meet at the Soccer Field with my friends to spend the afternoon chatting and telling each other how our lives are going separately. I really like being able to spend time at home with my family, whether chatting, reading, watching movies, or simply everyone doing their own thing, but always in company. I love being able to go for a snack at s’Altell and going for walks around the town.